Metal Heart
by thejokettee
Summary: Bruce Banner isn't a man, at least not in his own mind. He is a monster incapable of love or affection... something only meant for destruction. With the help of the Avengers and an unlikely young woman he struggles to accept what he has become and make a life for himself in which he can be happy. All is easier said than done when mounting forces try to prove otherwise.


Everyone thought that Captain America was a man out of time. With his old world values and limited knowledge of the new world he had been thrust into without any warning it was obvious that he didn't belong in this time... but what about someone who didn't belong _here_? Someone who had the potential to destroy everyone and everything that he touched? After the accident there wasn't a single place in the world where he could go and wouldn't be endangering countless lives. Dr. Bruce Banner didn't consider himself human, and while he was genuinely a kind soul who wanted to help people none of that mattered to him anymore. He only saw himself as a monster who was out of control and could potentially be set off at the drop of a hat. There _were_ those who thought otherwise and believed he had survived being exposed to the Gamma radiation for a reason. Amongst them were Clara.

She was the complete opposite of the scientist. Bruce was comfortable in situations in which he was alone and working in a lab surrounded by things instead of other human beings. His white lab coat gave him a certain comfort that he wasn't able to find anywhere else, and if he were being honest then he would have to admit to the fact he took better care of the material than he did himself - always making sure it was freshly pressed and well-taken care of. Clara on the other hand was what he considered a 'social butterfly' with her ability to fit in with several different types of people and how easily she could start and maintain conversation with someone she didn't know.

The thought caused his lips to tilt slightly as he recalled their first encounter.

 _Bruce couldn't believe what he was doing. Being a scientist he was well-versed in the newest technology and knew how easily it was to find things on the Internet. Amongst other things he avoided going out in public as much as he possibly could due to fear of the Other Guy making an unwanted appearance, and yet here he was standing in the middle of a rundown music store. It wasn't new in any sense of the word. The paint on the walls had yellowed and was chipping and the carpet looked as if it belonged in the 70s. They still sold records, and not the new kind that hipsters prided themselves on obtaining, but the older ones. Pink Floyd could be found as well as The Beatles and other iconic bands he had grown up listening to. There were CDs, too, but there weren't any machines in which you could preview an album before buying it. It was a very retro setting and very relaxed which is what drew the brown-eyed man to it in the first place._

 _A woman had been watching him. Her hair was dark and pulled back into a messy bun, her jaw sharp and her features defined. Stepping up quietly behind the older male she cleared her throat softly so that she wouldn't_ completely _catch him off guard. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked. He turned to her then, his eyes wide and curly dark hair looking like it hadn't been combed in a few days. Clara was reminded of an introvert by the gray sweater he wore, the sleeves slightly too long for him and the way he held his hands together when he realized that she was talking to him. It was cute._

 _"I, uh," he had stuttered. Had he really started going out so little that he had forgotten how to normally interact with other people? This was normal. Someone who worked here, who happened to be a stunning young woman, had asked him if he needed help. If Bruce was watching himself as he stood there awkwardly he might have laughed because he honestly looked like someone who had no idea what they were doing and was like a lost puppy. "Yeah, actually... I'm looking for something kind of instrumental but-" he cut himself off because he wasn't exactly sure how to explain what it was that he was looking for, but the woman cast him a lifeline._

 _"I gotcha," Clara beamed. Knowing what people wanted by poorly explained tastes was part of her job, and without giving much thought to it she took the man by the arm and tugged him in the direction where they kept their Indie music. "You look like a rainy day Indie kind of guy. I have just what you need."_

Bruce tucked his violet shirt into his pants before looking himself over in the mirror. He still had the Sun Kil Moon CD Clara had picked out for him and listened to it when he needed a break from the classical music he often listened to when he needed some extra help mellowing out.

"Come on!" a voice suddenly called, causing him to turn and look over his shoulder. Clara stood in the doorway and was tugging on her favorite pair of boots, brown strands of hair falling into her face as she struggled slightly with the task. "We're going to be late. I told Tony we would be there and someone other than Steve ought to be making sure that idiot doesn't do anything too stupid." she huffed her hair away from her face when she finally managed to get her boot on. Straightening up she saw Bruce watching her somewhat carefully causing her to cock an eyebrow.

"Okay, _Dr. Banner_ ," she drew while moving towards him and taking his arm so that she could tug him along behind her, something that they seemed to do quite often, and started in the direction of the door. "I don't want to be late because Jackie is going to lose her shit if I leave her to the guys for too long all by her lonesome. Besides," there was a pause as she stopped and turned so that she could quickly press a kiss to the corner of her boyfriend's mouth. "We need to get out. It'll do you some good."

Bruce frowned slightly. "Tell that to Harlem."


End file.
